


Alone together

by Zuko_here (Gi_Oli)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Hinata Shouyou is Sunshine, Hurt/Comfort, I love them so much, Kageyama Tobio in Love, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, Volleyball Dorks in Love, a bit of angst, but not much i swear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 15:40:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29528622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gi_Oli/pseuds/Zuko_here
Summary: Kageyama Tobio couldn’t be more displeased with the situation he found himself in. The beginning of his life at Uni was supposed to be a fresh start, it was the moment he had been dreaming of for years, so you can imagine his discontentment when he first met his new housemate and quickly evaluated that they had zero things in common and would not get along at all.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 20
Kudos: 21





	1. Talk less, smile more

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo this is my first fanfic, please be kind to me <3 any feedback is valuable, kudos and comments would make my heart melt!! This is going to be a Kagehina college/au fanfic, where kags and hinata are two strangers who share an apartment on their first year of uni, and get stuck with each other in the middle of a pandemic. We'll see how this goes, and I'm really excited to write this story!!

Kageyama Tobio couldn’t be more displeased with the situation he found himself in. The beginning of his life at Uni was supposed to be a fresh start, it was the moment he had been dreaming of for _years_ , so you can imagine his discontentment when he first met his new housemate and quickly evaluated that they had zero things in common and would not get along at all.

He had always been a loner, always considered that making friends was something he just couldn’t wrap his head around. It was not that he didn’t _want_ to have friends, to have the ability to rely on other people, to simply be himself around them. This was something that he truly craved, but he was too much of an introvert to take the initiative and just talk to other people. On top of that, his serious demeanor made people believe that he was not approachable, so instead of socializing he kept to himself, studying the numbers and algebra and geometry, because he at least was able to understand the logic behind their actions and find beauty on them. People, he thought, are just too unpredictable to comprehend.

Hinata Shouyou, on the other hand, was one of the most sociable people you could imagine. The orange-haired boy was extremely talkative, loved being around other people cracking jokes and chatting freely. His upbeat personality blossomed on his art too, in the shape of colorful drawings and paintings. Even though he was a talented and inventive artist, one could say that he was constantly trying to convey the same specific emotion with his art: joy. The joy of living, of loving and being loved.

On the first night both of them spent at the apartment, Hinata spoke non-stop for some hours about how excited he was to be finally there, to be starting the course of his dreams, to be exploring new things and trying to find his path in life. The boy was the personification of exaggeration, and it showed on his extensive use of onomatopoeia and hand gestures. He truly was like a little ball of energy bouncing all over the apartment while arranging his personal belongings. He resembled a ray of sunshine shining too bright for the unaccustomed eyes of poor Kageyama.

Hinata had no problems telling him all about his personal life and his past, his friends and family, and asked way too many questions for the dark-haired boy, who tried to politely avoid giving away more details about him than he was comfortable sharing with a guy he just met. While lying in bed that night, Kageyama felt as if he had been run over by a truck. He was exhausted by the social interaction, a little disappointed that his housemate was the complete opposite of him, and self-conscious of his own lack of social abilities. Passing his long fingers through his disheveled hair, he sighed and soon fell asleep.

After the terrible first impression Kageyama had of Hinata, he considered what could be done about the whole situation, and settled with trying to spend as much time at Uni as possible. In fact, he was quite fond of libraries, the cozy and comforting atmosphere where the only sounds to be heard were the soft turning of pages, the scribbling of pencils on notebooks and the soft whispers of concentrated individuals trying to figure out the new knowledge they were attempting to insert inside their minds. Yes, spending time studying at the library wouldn’t be a problem. 

So now Kageyama had a plan that he was really proud of, thank you very much. Unfortunately for him, sharing a house with a person means that you also need to have some conversations in order to decide how to share the chores and keep the house habitable. He was always polite during their interactions, just tried to make them as short as possible. 

As the first weeks passed, the raven-haired boy started to notice some things. The first thing was the paintings that were now hanging on the walls. Most of them were brought (and painted) by Hinata and they were definitely impressive, but one specific painting stood out for him, as its main characteristics were the symmetry and geometrical shapes. It was really pleasant to look at, and during his breakfasts that week he caught himself spending minutes staring at it without even realizing it. What could it mean? What was Hinata thinking of when he painted that? He had never thought that art and math could have things in common, because they seemed to be polar opposites, but apparently he might have been wrong. 

The next thing was how Hinata was a messy person and artist, always getting his clothes dirty with his paints (and with food), but surprisingly he managed to keep his mess all hidden in his bedroom so it wouldn’t bother Kageyama. That, he thought, was very considerate of the boy. When he cooked, the kitchen turned into the utmost chaos, but as soon as he had wolfed down his food he would rush to the kitchen and tidy it. Kageyama knew a lot of people had troubles with roommates when it came to the cleaning of the house, but so far Hinata hadn’t given him any reasons to complain. 

  
The third thing was how Hinata wasn’t actually as intrusive as he first thought. Aside from that first eventful night, he had been respecting his personal space a lot, and his personal questions just showed that he was genuinely _interested_ in talking to Kageyama and getting to know him better. He looked like a person who wears his heart on his sleeve, showing all his emotions honestly. Hinata was a friendly person with everyone, as could be perceived if you overheard his daily conversations with his family and friends (which was something Kageyama did, the walls were kinda thin, you know! It was not on purpose). That realization made his stomach sink with embarrassment, as he noticed how little effort he was making to learn more about the smaller boy. It was time for a change of plans, but before he could actually do anything he heard a small knock on his bedroom door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhh, can you guess what's going to happen?


	2. Speak to me (with love in the words)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata and Kageyama have a hard conversation that will bring them closer. A little bit of hurt, but with comfort! No worries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! I really enjoyed writing it, so I hope you like it too. I have lots of scenes in my mind that I want to describe for this fic, so things will develop in a slow pace. Stick around <3

“Uhhh, Kageyama? Are you there?” Hinata seemed… off. A little sad, maybe?

“Yeah, do you need anything?” There was a short pause while the boy tried to find the words. 

“Not really. Just checking if you’re hungry, cause I’ve made some miso soup and oniguiri and I could share it with you, if you want it.” 

Kageyama had spent the last few hours trying to study (and  _ miserably  _ failing, cause his mind kept going back to thinking about his roommate) and actually forgot that he needed to eat. So yes, he was starving at this point and not having to cook right now was extremely inviting. 

“Sure, I’ll be in the kitchen in a second”. 

The soup was delicious, all the flavors perfectly matching and balancing. He hadn’t eaten something so tasty since the last time he was at his parents’ house, a month ago, so he couldn’t hold back the small contentment noises that escaped from his lips while he was eating. Hinata noticed it, and let out a quiet chuckle. He was acting awfully quiet that night, lost in his thoughts, and the silence stretched uncomfortably between them as they ate. Not being able to stand that any longer, Kageyama decided to say something,  _ anything  _ to decrease the tension.

“Hum, this is really good, Hinata. Thank you for sharing it with me.” 

“Oh, I’m glad you liked it. This is comfort food for me, my mom used to cook it every time someone in my family felt a little blue.” He said it with a melancholic smile that made Kageyama’s heart twist. So he wasn’t imagining things! Hinata was really upset about something. Remembering his earlier thoughts, Kageyama decided to make an effort and step out of his comfort zone and try to make his roommate feel a little better. 

“Are you… Are you feeling alright?” This was new to him, he had no idea of what to do, but  _ trying  _ should count for something, right? He even attempted to look Hinata in the eyes, and he saw when they widened with surprise and when they filled with unshed tears ready to spill. Why did he feel the sudden urge to hug the other boy, to protect him from whatever was making him feel like that?  _ No, focus. Think about that later, it doesn’t matter now.  _

“I-I don’t want to bother you, Kageyama. I just wanted some company, but I know you probably have to get back to your studies...It’s okay. It’s gonna be okay, don’t worry.” He avoided the dark blue eyes and forced a smile on his lips. But this was not Hinata’s smile, just a pathetic imitation. It was wrong, so wrong. 

“Hey, I’ve studied enough for today. You can tell me what’s wrong, I’ll listen.” He made his best to say this in a soft tone, and apparently it worked. Hinata started crying the tears he had been holding for a long time. 

“It’s just… everyone is so talented in my classes, you know? They have studied all these incredible and advanced techniques, they have fancy materials to use and they have visited so many art galleries around the  _ world  _ and can use everything they saw as a reference for their art while I just.. For me art has always been about the feeling. About pouring my heart onto the canvas and-and trying to get a smile from the people who saw it. And I always enjoyed it  _ so  _ much, but now I’m feeling frustrated. I-I’m feeling left behind. There is so much I don’t know… How can I keep up with them? What if this isn’t my place?” He sobbed quietly, trying to wipe his tears, face hanging down from embarrassment, shoulders shaking slightly. He seemed so… vulnerable, feelings out in the open. 

Kageyama was sure he hadn’t done anything to deserve Hinata’s  _ trust  _ like that, but now he felt that he should do whatever he could to cheer him up. He got up, filled a glass with water and handed it to the other boy.

“Here, drink this.” He sighed, pausing to collect his thoughts, as Kageyama himself had gone through self-doubt before. He tried to repeat to Hinata the words his sister had previously used to make him feel better. “I know it seems scary. And that it’s hard not to … compare yourself with others. But I like to think that this is not a competition, you know? And your classmates are here to learn new things, just like you. You are not supposed to know everything. Don’t be so hard on yourself.” He paused again, gathering the courage to say the next sentences. It was a little embarrassing to say it out loud, but his words seemed to be affecting Hinata, so he kept going. “Your art is beautiful. It touched me, so don’t doubt yourself. You are good enough.” Those words were said in a rush, but with honesty and a shy smile. Hinata’s eyes were still glassy, but he really seemed much better now, as if his sparkle had been rekindled. He reached out his hand to gently squeeze Kageyama’s as he murmured a quiet “thank you”. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming from a place of experience, I feel that most of the people feel that they are not enough when they start Uni. It sucks, but it gets better! And Kageyama's line comes from what I think Haikyuu is about: learning things from other people, not seeing them as your adversary, but as people who can help you become even better. 
> 
> Feedback, kudos and comments are very much welcome and would make me suuuper happy <3


	3. If I could see me from your eyes...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hinata is super pumped after a class and won't let Kageyama study, so he decides to draw him!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow another chapter!! I'm really pumped and spent hours writing today. Enjoy!!

Slowly but surely Kageyama started to feel more comfortable around his roommate. They spent most of their time on campus, but fell into a routine of having dinner together at home every day. Hinata was teaching some things about cooking for Kageyama, who was a quick and methodical learner. They made a great team together, and normally this was a fun (and tasty) moment of their days. 

One night the raven-haired boy decided to study in the living room while he waited for Hinata to arrive from his classes. He was trying to comprehend the proof of a particularly tough theorem but his brain was fuzzy, exhausted from all the effort it had already made that day. Still, Kageyama was stubborn and would not rest until he had  _ mastered  _ that damn proof. He slurped his milk and was rereading the explanation for the umpteenth time when Hinata burst through the door. On the second he spotted Kageyama sitting at the living room table, he began an endless stream of indistinguishable words, waving his hands excitedly and leaving Kageyama speechless and making him roll his eyes.  _ What the hell was that??? _

“Wow, wow, Hinata, I have no idea what you’re saying. Slow down, remember to breathe, dumbass.” The last word was apparently the only insult Kageyama knew, Hinata thought. But it was never spoken in a rude way, it was almost like a term of endearment. Hinata took a deep breath and sat down at the table in front of Kageyama. 

“Today was great!! I just had the most  _ amazing _ class ever. One of the professors complimented my last painting! I’m soooo pumped, it feels like I’m gonna explode from happiness” he said with a huge smile plastered all over his silly face. 

“Oh, that’s cool. You can tell me more about it later, alright? I just need to finish studying and we can cook and watch that show you mentioned earlier”. Hinata nodded, and Kageyama tried to focus on his book, but he could feel that Hinata was anxious. Maybe he would really explode if he didn’t get the attention he needed at that moment. He was impatiently moving his legs and tapping gently on the table while humming a song from a hilarious Tik-Tok. This was a huge distraction. 

“Hinata, be quiet please, I’m trying to focus here”, he groaned, a little annoyed. 

“I’m soooorryy, there are so many things I wanna tell you! Hurry up with your studies.” Hinata half said, half sang. 

“If you keep distracting me I’ll never finish this.” The smaller boy pouted a little, but then his eyes illuminated as he spoke.

“Ooooh, what if I  _ draw  _ you? Then I can keep busy while you study.”

“Wh-Whaaat? No! I-I… that’s weird. Not a good idea, Hinata.”

“Why not? It’s gonna be fun! Don’t you like my drawings?” It was true, he did. But still, no one had ever drawn him before. It felt so… intimate. Especially with Hinata. He contemplated the idea. Maybe it would be interesting to see himself from Hinata’s eyes and skilled hands. He could give it a try, just once.

“Hm, alright. But, like, don’t post it anywhere, okay?” 

“YES YES YES THANK YOUUU!!” He proceeded to get his supplies and in no time he was sketching Kageyama in his notebook, furrowed eyebrows in sharp concentration. Kageyama felt his skin burning, being observed so intently.  _ You don’t need to be so nervous, it’s just the little tangerine, your roommate. It’s just a drawing. Act normally, breathe.  _

He moved on his chair and tried to concentrate on the theorem again, but it was useless. There was no way he could focus on math right now. His burning curiosity got the best of him, so he opted for observing Hinata work on the drawing. He had never seen him doing it before, and weirdly found himself relaxing after some minutes as the whole apartment was quiet except for the sounds of Hinata’s scribbling with determination, his teeth biting his lower lip. When their eyes met, they both let out a chuckle as if they had been caught doing something mischievous. 

“Hey, keep laughing! You were too serious before. I won’t bite you, you know that, right? And you got a pretty smile, Kageyama.” Hinata didn’t even notice his words, he was just trying to make the situation less weird. 

“Well, how can I be sure? You act like a puppy sometimes.” He felt a foot kicking him under the table and it hurt a bit, but he didn’t care. That was fun. He was feeling good, their teasing and jokes really made him think that…

“Hinata?”. A small noise of acknowledgement in response, pen still moving on the paper. “Are we.. do you consider me a friend?” 

“Uh, what? Of course! Don’t you? I mean, don’t you see me as your friend?” Shock was spread all over his face, screaming that it was obvious for Hinata that they were friends and it was absurd that he even had to  _ ask _ .

“Ye-yeah, sure. You’re my friend. It feels good to be around you. I was just… making sure. Oh, just ignore me. How’s the drawing coming along?”  _ Yeah, change the focus of the conversation so he will ignore the burning blush on your cheeks _ .

“It’s finished! Wanna look?” He  _ did _ , but also  _ didn’t  _ want to. Before he could say anything Hinata was handing him the notebook with an expectant look on his eyes. 

Even though it was just a sketch, it was incredible. He had his face resting on his hands, elbows on the table, a curious expression on his eyes and a shy smile escaping from his lips. He felt seen, and in a heartwarming way. 

“So, what do you think? Did you like it? I know it’s just a sketch, but-”

“It’s amazing. It’s perfect, I love it. Can I keep it?” 

“Hmmm only if you do the dishes today.” The little bastard had the guts to say this with a playful smile on his lips.

“Not fair! It was your turn, dumbass.” Kageyama knew he would give in, but just pretended to put up a fight so they could bicker a bit. 

“But I gave you a gift, and you liked it sooo much.” Yeah, there was nothing he could do, so he settled with roughly ruffling the orange mess of a hair that Hinata had, and headed for the kitchen. 

“Come on, I’m starving.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My boys, they are so sweet <3


	4. Would you be so kind as to fall in love with me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pandemic is at the beginning, their classes got canceled and the boys want to paint their nails.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> soooo I'm finally getting to the whole reason of why this is called "Alone together". Get ready for lots of fluff!

When Kageyama woke up that Wednesday morning he had no idea of what was about to happen in the world and how that would affect everyone’s lives. He expected it to be a normal day, with lots of lectures to watch and math concepts to tackle. During the first hours of the day he would stay home, read a bit, grab a snack and probably call his sister on the way to the campus, where he was supposed to meet a group of classmates to finish a project they had been working on. These guys were surprisingly nice people, easygoing, responsible and smart. Kageyama wished all his group works had been that peaceful in high school, he didn’t even like to remember how many times he ended up doing everything by himself just because people couldn’t be bothered to collaborate.  _ It’s okay, it’s in the past now. Fresh start, remember? _

Hinata had already left home when he woke up, leaving him to eat his breakfast alone. That sucked a little, but that night they were going to finally watch  _ Hamilton  _ and the little tangerine was super,  _ super  _ excited. Being the theater nerd he was, his favorite playlist consisted mostly of the songs from the show, and that made even Kageyama memorize some of the lyrics.  _ But Kageyama, you have to watch it to grasp all the emotion behind the songs!! The acting is amazing! You won’t believe how they performed “Satisfied”! We are watching it. _ So they were going to do it that night. 

Checking his phone, he saw that it was still too early to leave, so he deliberated what could be done to kill time. Washing his mug he noticed that it was time to paint his nails again, he felt almost  _ naked  _ without color on his well kept nails. One of the things he loved the most about himself was his slender hands, his long, thin fingers, so delicate. The black nails looked good with his ebony hair, so it was his favorite choice most of the time. Every once in a while he opted for the dark blue, to match his eyes. 

One hour was enough to do it, so he got everything he needed and sat at the living room table. Just as Kageyama was finishing painting his left hand, Hinata arrived looking a little worried. 

“Hey, I thought you had classes all day today, Hinata”

“I had! But they were all canceled, all the classes of this week. We got an email from the University, but I forgot to check it before leaving home this morning. It’s because of a virus that started circulating recently and they are trying to prevent it from spreading cause it might be dangerous. I stopped at the drugstore on my way back and got some masks and hand sanitizer for us, the email instructed us to use them in case we leave our houses.” Just as he finished his sentence, Kageyama’s phone buzzed with a message from his classmates saying that everything was closed on campus so they couldn’t meet up. 

“Oh, that sucks. But thank you, that was really thoughtful of you.” Saying that, he was about to start painting his right hand when Hinata called him, staring at his hands.

“Kageyama?”

“Mm?”

“Your nails look  _ so  _ pretty in black, I hadn’t noticed you painted them before!” 

“Oh, it’s because I haven’t painted them the last… couple of months. Schoolwork was just consuming all my time, but today I had nothing to do for an hour so I thought I should treat myself with it.” He held his hand close to his face, appreciating the good job he had done on his left hand. It was almost dry now. Once again, when he was about to get back to painting Hinata interrupted him.

“Can I try it?” Expectant, inquisitive eyes were looking at Kageyama’s.  _ How could he say no to this?  _

“Sure, help yourself out.” The boy immediately regretted his words when Hinata got the dark blue nail polish and nearly painted the  _ table  _ instead of his nail. He got too much of the liquid, and it dripped from his finger when he held it up looking unconsolable, clueless of how to clean up that mess. 

“Kageyaaaamaaa, I think I messed up a tiny,  _ teeny  _ little bit. Can you heeelp meee?” The look on his face was the one of a puppy who had been misbehaving. Kageyama looked annoyed, but obliged at the smaller boy’s request. 

“Give me your hand, I’ll do it for you, otherwise you would  _ paint the whole house  _ with nail polish, you dumbass”. In spite of being a little mad, he couldn’t help the smile that crept upon his lips when he felt Hinata’s warm hand on his. It was soft, with chubby little fingers, much smaller than his own hand, but it fitted on his grasp so perfectly that he wondered how it would feel to intertwine their fingers. 

Kageyama had never been a touchy person. Apart from his family, he hadn’t hugged or kissed so many people in his life, and usually did his best not to invade another person’s personal space. But he  _ did  _ miss the late night talks he used to have with his sister, where he would lay his head on her lap while she softly played with his hair and chatted about their days and dreams. 

Miwa had always, always been his main source of support. She had no doubts that Kageyama would have a brilliant and fulfilled future, and knew just how much to push him in order to motivate him to go further, try harder, be better. And when she felt insecure to move away to pursue her career, he didn’t hesitate. His eyes held pure admiration while he told Miwa “ _ don’t hold back because of me. We’ll always be together, no matter where, sis.”  _ And he meant it. __

Painting nails was something that they used to do together frequently. It got harder to match their schedules as they got older, but they made time for each other. Perhaps now there was someone else that could be included in this habit. After all, Hinata and Miwa had a similar effect on Kageyama. 

They felt like  _ home _ , a place where it’s comfortable to just be you. A place where you are free from judgement, from insecurities. They warmed Kageyama’s heart. 

Actually, that wasn’t completely true. Hinata set Kageyama’s heart _ on fire _ , along with his whole body. All his senses craved his touch, his company, his attention and affection. So he couldn’t stop himself from absentmindedly running his thumb along Hinata’s fingers while trying to find the best position to hold his hand and begin painting. 

He might have imagined it, but for a second he could swear that there was a gentle pressure on the back of his hand coming from Hinata’s thumb. He was brought back to reality as the ginger spoke:

“Say, Kageyama, how about we listen to the soundtrack of Hamilton again? To get in the mood for later!” There it was again, the feather - light touch on his hand that sent pleasant shivers down his spine. 

“To get in the mood?” their teasing was back in a second, but one could say that there was a whole new dimension added to it. Could it be that they were…  _ flirting  _ a little? 

“Yeah, of course!”

“Not because you are a musical  _ nerd _ , huh?” said Kageyama with a smirk on his face. 

Hinata pretended to be offended, bringing a hand to his chest dramatically. “Pfff, I don’t know where you got that idea from, you idiot. I’m not a sucker for musicals, definitely not. You are.” 

“Yeah dumbass, I’m not  _ yet _ , but just I might become one under your  _ evil  _ influence, making me listen to songs from musicals every single day. You make me suffer, you know that? What a horrible roommate you are”. Oh, the drama. That made Hinata burst into a fit of laughter, Kageyama quickly following him. 

They continued with this silly game of bickering until all of Hinata’s nails were a dark, mesmerizing shade of blue, and Kageyama was finally able to finish painting his own nails. Their hands, apart for some minutes, found the way back to each other in no time while the boys lazily walked to the couch ready to binge watch the latest season from their favorite anime. Just before the show started, Hinata leaned forward and pressed the softest kiss on Kageyama’s temple, getting a squeeze on his hand in response. 

Yeah, this felt right. 

  
It felt like  _ home _ . 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAA I FINALLY WROTE THE NAIL PAINTING SCENE. It was much longer and more detailed than what I first imagined, but I love the way it turned out!! Please let me know your thoughts about it <3


	5. Even if I don't sleep, dawn will break as I gaze over it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> But he wished he could tell Hinata, he desperately wished to have the ability to open his mouth and form coherent words that would express his deepest insecurities. Hinata had proved over and over again to be someone worthy of his most vulnerable parts. He knew that he could trust him and that the fragile pieces he didn’t like about himself would not scare Hinata away. Still, the words remained unspoken stuck in his mind, unable to make a sound that wasn’t a sob.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should warn you that this chapter contains some mentions of sick people due to COVID, and I would recommend skipping the first half and going straight to "But Hinata understood..." if this is a sensitive theme for you. I swear everything is gonna be okay with the characters, it's nothing serious, but it could cause a bit of anxiety especially considering what Kageyama thinks about it.

The distinction between day and night got blurrier and blurrier as weeks had passed without them setting foot outside, and with time came the nightmarish realization that things would be like this for much,  _ much  _ longer than anyone could have anticipated. Weeks stretched out carrying days that appeared to be pretty much alike, anxiety and stress nonchalantly snaking through the gaps under the doors, uninvited, being dragged by the icy breeze that pierced their skin whenever they were desperate for a bit of fresh air and dared to open the windows. 

They made a huge effort not to isolate themselves from the world, even though they had to be apart physically. Video calls were frequent, pictures and voice messages became as normal as breathing. Still, there was this  _ ache _ that just wouldn’t go away, this feeling of helplessness, a tight squeeze on the strings of their hearts that couldn’t be softened. 

One dreadful night Miwa called, her voice strained.

“Tobi?”. Kageyama could sense that she was choosing her words, carefully. “I don’t wanna scare you or anything, cause apparently things are not so serious, but mom and dad got Covid. They are home, treating the symptoms. I’m sure they’ll be good in no time, so don’t worry, little bro. Okay?” The squeeze became even tighter, the air escaping from his lungs and struggling to find its way back, a thousand questions swirling around his mind.  _ Since when? What are they feeling? What should be done now? How can I help? Are they gonna be okay? _

After receiving all the answers Miwa could provide, they hang up after some “I love you” “I miss you so much” and “take care”. Kageyama felt so small,  _ so  _ alone, hands freezing and chest tight, curled up on his bed clenching the blankets. Instinctively, he called for Hinata, not even knowing if the ginger was still awake, but his tone must have been so urgent that seconds later he could see the other boy sprinting through his bedroom door.

“Kageyama, what happened?” his tone was soft while he came closer, laying on the bed by Kageyama’s side. He gently got hold of one of the raven-haired boy’s hands and waited for a reply.

The answer came in the form of painful tears streaming down Kageyama’s face. He just couldn’t speak, couldn’t find the courage to put his fears out in the open. All the awful possibilities of outcome on his mind were better left unsaid. It was better to let his panic consume him, burn him from the inside until there was nothing left except for the ashes. 

But he wished he could tell Hinata, he desperately wished to have the ability to open his mouth and form coherent words that would express his deepest insecurities. Hinata had proved over and over again to be someone worthy of his most vulnerable parts. He knew that he could trust him and that the fragile pieces he didn’t like about himself would not scare Hinata away. Still, the words remained unspoken stuck in his mind, unable to make a sound that wasn’t a sob. 

_ What if he never saw his parents again? _

_ What if he never had the chance to make them proud of him one more time? _

_ What if he couldn’t take them to the places they dreamed of going? _

_ What if they never got to see the kids Miwa always wished to have? _

_ What if he never told them he found love?  _

_ What if? What if? What if…? _

...

But Hinata understood. He could see through Kageyama’s pained expression, his suffering almost tangible, his breath ragged. The ginger fathomed that right now everything he could do for the raven-haired boy was to take him in his arms, make him feel safe, and not let him go. 

Hinata pulled Kageyama into his warm and comforting embrace, letting the other boy rest his head on the ginger’s chest, gently running his fingers through the other’s hair in a soothing manner. Never letting go of his hand, he kissed each one of the boys’ knuckles and brought their connected hands to rest close to his heart. 

From time to time he planted soft forehead kisses on Kageyama’s face, murmuring things like “ _ It’s gonna be okay _ ”, “ _ I got you _ ”, “ _ I’m here, Kags”, “You can cry, let it all out”, “It’s okay, it’s okay”.  _ And without registering it, he whispered.

“I’m here for you, Tobio”. Hinata froze, hand in the air in the middle of a stroke. His name simply rolled from his tongue before he could stop himself, and it felt good to say it out loud. Still, was it too much? Too soon? Kageyama lifted his head to look at Hinata’s eyes and found a mixture of surprise and apprehension, but behind them was pure, undeniable  _ fondness _ , so real he could almost touch it. He wiped his tears, for he had cried most of them already and the monster inside his heart had been tamed for now, leaving him burning with a different kind of flame. 

Slowly, Kageyama leaned closer, hand leaving Hinata’s to caress his cheek. The other boy closed his eyes and melted in the touch, feeling the change of the atmosphere in the room. The dark-haired boy took a deep breath, bracing himself for what he had been dying to say for weeks.

“I know you are, and I’m so grateful for that.” Sweeter words had never left his lips before. Gazing at Hinata’s eyes, the butterflies on his stomach swirling like crazy, heart beating so fast it seemed like it was going to explode, he whispered almost inaudibly. “I like you, Shouyou.” He could see Hinata’s eyes widen, a heartwarming smile dancing on his lips. 

“You do?”

“Yeah,  _ so _ much.” Even though the room was poorly lit, Kageyama could see Hinata’s gaze traveling from his eyes to his lips, and back to his eyes. The dark-haired boy was so exhausted emotionally, that he could  _ finally  _ stop overthinking all his actions and take that as a sign that it was okay to do the thing he had been craving for so long.

Leaning closer, he pressed a gentle kiss on the boy’s chin, making him shiver a little and grasp the hair on the back of Kageyama’s neck. Not breaking eye contact, Kageyama proceeded to plant two kisses on the corner of Hinata’s lips, one for each side. Feeling that he had already teased the poor boy enough, he let his lips hover above the other’s, a question hanging on his eyes.

“ _ Of course _ I like you too, Tobio.” With that being said, Hinata closed the space between them, sealing their lips in a delicate kiss that tasted a little salty, but so, so,  _ so _ sweet at the same time. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooooo what do you guys think??
> 
> I wasn't so sure if I should postpone the kissing scene even more, and some friends told me to write it already so I happily obliged hahahha. Thank you so much for everyone who has read so far <3 <3 it's not over yet!! I have much more fluff that I want to write :3


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